


Day 7: Take Control

by LtLime23



Series: August MEFFW Challenge [7]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 08:58:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11733816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LtLime23/pseuds/LtLime23
Summary: Day 7 of the Month of Fanfiction ChallengePrompt: The bad thing nobody talks about.Also see Day 15: Not the Plan for what happens next.





	Day 7: Take Control

**Author's Note:**

> Day 7 of the Month of Fanfiction Challenge
> 
> Prompt: The bad thing nobody talks about.
> 
> Also see Day 15: Not the Plan for what happens next.

“We are not doing this now” Ryder stated as she turned her back and walked away from Dr. T’Perro, heading towards her cabin. Lexi had been lying in wait in the cargo bay, the doctor fed up of Sara Ryder’s excuses and evasion tactics.

“SAM, seal all doors.” Lexi requested calmly.

Ryder closed her eyes against the frustration at seeing her escape route barred, sighing through clenched teeth she let her shoulders drop, turning to face Lexi. They eyed each other, alone, in the main corridor of the Tempest.

“What?” even to her own ears she sounded like a petulant child.

“Don’t play that card with me, Pathfinder, you know very well ‘what’.” Lexi remained calm, searching Ryder for a reaction.

Sara threw up her hands in annoyance, “I don’t want to talk about it.” Her tone was final but Lexi was done playing along with this charade, things needed to change.

“Sara, you need to start talking, you need to start dealing with everything, that box you are using to hold stuff in, well it’s blown apart. I’ve just had Tann on the line telling me how you lost it in a meeting, again. I get reports from the squad about how you’re becoming excessively aggressive in combat.”

Sara felt herself tremble with rage, “its combat Lexi, I kill people, with guns, with biotics, maybe Director Tann and the rest of my Team” she stressed the last word, “need to remember that I’m busting my metaphorical balls here.”

Lexi walked carefully towards Ryder, she knew the Pathfinder was angry but could also see the hurt and turmoil which hid in Sara’s eyes. “Sara, we all know how hard you’re working, nobody on the Tempest doubts you. You’ve hidden all this so well but I can’t let it carry on, we need to find a way to support you, to deal with this.”

Sara couldn’t keep the anger from her voice, “Lexi, with all due respect, you have no idea where I’m at, or what I need right now.”

“So, tell me” Lexi threw back calmly.

Sara looked her dead in the eye, “Four months before coming here my Mom died of an illness I’d had to watch slowly consume her, whilst also watching it consume my Father, who up until that point had been like a fucking mythical creature in mine and Scott’s lives.” Sara was spitting her words out like fire, sparks against Lexi’s face, she continued, “his toxic research had his reputation in tatters and it meant Scott having to fight for every god damn assignment. Oh but it’s all okay because then Pop makes a ‘family decision’ that we’re going to live happily ever after in Andromeda.”

Lexi watch as Sara began to shake, “So, we arrive in Andromeda and it’s all rainbows and butterflies apart from the fact that within the space of TWO HOURS, my Brother is in a coma, my Father is dead and I’m suddenly responsible for the survival of not one but FOUR different species.”

Sara felt light headed as the words fell from her, “I’ve got Addison up my arse, a Director who knows fuck all about Directing, and the clusterfuck that is the Andromeda Initiative to sort out, whilst making sure my ‘crew’ are all on the straight and narrow. Between you and me Lexi I could very much do without Peebee’s commitment issues, Cora’s disappointment, Gil and Kallo’s pissing competition, Vetra’s lack of self-confidence and Liam’s short sighted fucked up sense of justice. I’d also appreciate it if they could all stop trying to get into my pants” Ryder paused, she was breathing hard.

Sara turned away and started pacing, “I’m fed up of people wanting something from me. I’m twenty-two, I barely know how to separate my laundry properly let alone deal with some bone headed megalomaniac. Every decision I make gets judged and I don’t feel like I’m doing anything right, Cora got in a huff with me about Serissa, Drack is barely talking to me because of his scouts, tell me Lexi, what was I supposed to do?” she flung a questioning look over her shoulder as she continued to pace up and down the corridor, “I saved the Salarian Pathfinder, I was focused on the many not the few, yet all I get is shit for it.”

Sara was exasperated now, “nobody is ever fucking happy, when exactly am I allowed to catch a break? When will I get to make a decision about MY life?” Her finger jammed into her chest.

Lexi remained stoic in her silence as Sara stopped inches from her, pulsing with emotion, “look, Lexi, I’m sorry that you end up on the blunt end of things, but literally, this feels like the only choice I get to make where I feel in control.” Sara’s voice had quietened and Lexi knew the apology was sincere. 

“So, we need to give you more opportunities to feel in control of your life, where the outcomes are positive and for you.” 

In one swift motion Ryder cupped Lexi’s face in her hands and kissed the Doctor. Lingering just long enough to feel Lexi kiss her back, Ryder turned and walked away.  
“SAM, open the fucking door” she growled over the sound of her boot hitting the metal.

“Not quite what I had in mind” Lexi muttered.


End file.
